The Winds of Change
by CopyKat
Summary: The Jedi are weary after their battle on Geonosis, and a new trouble arises out of the ashes. A fearsome bounty hunter threatens the peace of the very galaxy after capturing a princess...R&R please!warning! harsh language is involved!
1. The beginning

I do not claim any character from Lord of the Rings, Yu-Gi-Oh or Star Wars or Soul Calibur II. This is a major crossover of the two-hope ya like 'em, 'cuz my other buds took the other ideas. Lesha, Videl, Cat, & Nicole are mine and my friends'....don't touch them! 

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Lust.....

Greed....

Theft of a planet's riches......

A story of the heart....

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The Winds of Change

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A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away....

Chaos has entered the Republic once more. A new star system has been discovered, disrupting the balance between the Separatists and the Republic. The riches of the planet has aroused the interest of bandits and bureaucrats alike, causing pressure from both sides. Soon, the battle-weary Jedi will discover a much darker secret within their own strongholds....

"Traitor!" Teá yelled as she cringed against the wall. A large durasteel box stood as a temporary stance against her assassin. She jumped as a chunk of metal stuck into the wall above her. "You can't stay here forever, Teá!" A loud, but unusually melodious voice called out. "C'mon, I won't hurt you...I promise!" 

"Yeah, right!" Teá screamed out, and blasted where she heard the voice. She cursed as the voice remained unchanged. "On my honor, as a bounty hunter!" Teá bit her lip. She was desperately losing this battle. Maybe her hired bounty hunter would listen to her. It was all a gamble. She stood up, hands in the air, blaster on the ground. "So, what do you want, hunter?" She glared at the woman standing in front of her. The woman was tall, with brown hair pulled back in a tight bun. Symbolic tattoos adorned her arms and stomach, as well as traditional clothing. She carried no other weapon, but her deadly sword-whip made from sacred and unknown metals. The woman did not look like any bounty hunter, but Teá knew better. She had queer pointed ears, but there was something dark and enigmatic about her. "Cat.." she hissed. "why are you doing this to me? I hired you--"

"Cut the crap, Teá. I did your dirty work."

"But, why--"

"Shut the hell up. You know why." Teá shook her head, her blue eyes glistening with tears. "Let me stir up your old memory...Lemme see, oh, yes, I don't suppose you remember your ol' pal Nicole, would you?" Teá froze at the name. "N-no..." she stuttered. "Liar. You are a filthy liar, and you know it!" Cat began pacing in front of her, her whip mysteriously vanished. "You lied, tricked, and conned her, and now you are going to pay!" Teá gulped, grabbing the small blaster she kept in her back pocket. "Don't you dare!" Cat warned as her whip cut Teá's hand. She cried out in pain and dropped the blaster. Suddenly, Teá felt something around her neck. "What th-?" she started to say, but a jolt of electricity caused her to double up in pain. "Get up." Cat ordered. Teá stayed down, but a shock sent her scrambling up. She glared at her oppressor, tears streaming down her face. "You promised not to hurt me!" Cat's face could have been etched in stone. "For the moment. Let this be a lesson for you...trust no one." Then she dragged Teá down the hall. She gasped as she found herself in the carbonation lab. "What am I doing here?" Cat gave her a sly smile that she was famous for. Teá tried to suppress a shudder. Few who have seen that smile had made it back alive and well. Most didn't.

"My orders were to have you taken in..._Alive_." Teá breathed a sigh of relief. "But..." Cat continued, "You will wish that you were dead after I am done with you..." Teá yelped in surprise as another Cat walked up. "What the hell is going on here?!" She demanded as the other Cat forced her on a platform. One of the Cats smiled. "I decided to be nice to you and let you on my secret. You seem quite astonished at the sight of my cyborg. She is quite enchanting, is she not?" Teá gritted her teeth in exasperation. "Tut, tut, you have always been so impatient. And rude. Well, now you can have all of eternity to meditate these vices." Teá jumped as the platform slid downward. She gasped as she realized what was going to happen to her. "Curse, you, bounty hunter!!!" She cried out before the carbon gases encased her. Cat shrugged and a few seconds later, grinned triumphantly at Teá trapped in carbonite.

It was a beautiful day in the capital of Shi. Rich gems ordained the walls of the buildings themselves, showing how rich the planet was. There was no such thing as poverty here-The people were kind, loving, but most of all--rich. Not a single person could walk around there without money-there was so much to go around, people simply didn't care. It was paradise. The oceans were a dark blue, forests a lush green, and nothing had the stain of modernization or pollution. The people of Shi worked closely in their environment and it with them. The planet gave them riches as they gave it their tender, loving care. 

Princess Lesha looked out on the balcony at the dazzling morning sun. She smiled as she breathed in the crisp, clean air. No pollution today! Lesha frowned as she thought about her ambassador, Videl, going to the legendary Courascant. Yami, her head of security was going with her to ensure the safety of Videl's journey. Lesha did not mind terribly about Yami going with Videl, both, which secretly liked each other. A loud, but deep horn sounded for the breakfast hour. She grinned at the thought of breakfast today. The famous Jedi were going to be dining with her. She felt so excited, and nervous. The Trade Federation had raised taxes again and she needed some political advice as well as more adequate protection for dealing under such circumstances. She shifted in her dress again. Was it too dressy for breakfast? She really wanted to impress the Jedi, especially the human they call Kaiba. He was _so _handsome, but wasn't a complete and total jerk like some of the princes she had dated before. Hopefully neither he nor the other Jedi would notice her lovesick thoughts. She sighed for the thousandth time as she tried to remember her speech. 

A knock on the door startled her and she dropped the ruby earrings she had been holding. "WHAT?!" She called out irritably. Serenity walked in meekly. "Sorry, m'lady, but you have about 10 minutes before breakfast. Are you ready to go?" Lesha muttered something completely unsuitable for a princess before answering the maiden. "Umm...I'm ready...I think..." Serenity laughed. "I don't think that anyone is ready for Jedi, ma'am. Here, take these earrings. They look wonderful." She handed Lesha glittering, crystal earrings that sparkled and shone every color of the Shirinan rainbow. "Oh, they're beautiful!" Lesha exclaimed. "Now hurry, princess...your dinner, er, I mean breakfast awaits!" Smiling again, Princess Lesha eagerly puts on her earrings and very unprincess-like runs out of her bedroom. Serenity grins happily and follows her down the corridor. Seeing that the princess had long left the premises, she looked both ways. There was no one in sight. Silently she walked, her form suddenly changing shape. She grew taller, her hair color changed, but then she changed gender-from female to male. The wind whistled in the now-dark corridor. Yami turned around, seeing nothing, started bolting down hallway at breakneck speed. 

All four of the Jedi stood in reverence as the princess and the Prime Minister went to the head of the table. The Padawans patted their stomach as it rumbled hungrily. It was a beautiful sight for all hungry eyes to see. Every single Shirian breakfast food delicacy was spread out over an enormous table. Sparkling gems adorned the table, and even some of the foods. Malik noted mournfully that there were no chairs to be seen, and his legs were aching from the journey. What seemed to be the theme of it all was how nature was the center of it all. The Prime Minister and the princess smiled at both the Masters' and the Padawans' expressions of surprise when small trees sprouted out of the ground, forming chair-like structures. "Please sit." Said the Prime Minister. Lesha tried her best to stifle her giggles as the Jedi eyed the trees suspiciously before sitting down softly on the branches. They seemed to relax after the first few seconds without anything going wrong. Then, Kaiba froze as the branches behind him grew. He went to grab his lightsaber, but a warning from Mace Windu stayed his hand. Malik watched in fascination as the tree branches gently placed a silk napkin on his lap. Master Oodin beamed as he stroked the tree's soft branches. He loved nature very much and was intrigued by the planet here as well as the people's customs. Finally, the rest of the Jedi calmed down enough to eat breakfast. Lesha smiled again, but suddenly Yami came running breathlessly into the dining room. "Yami!" She exclaimed in puzzlement. He shook his head. "No time for that princess...you are in great danger!" 

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	2. Escape from Shi

Alarmed, the Jedi jumped up. A rather peculiar event followed, because when the Jedi jumped up, their tree-chairs obediently went down into the ground, although Kaiba's tree slapped him in the side when going down. Malik smiled at the tree, until Master Windu gave him his look that scared both Masters and apprentices. Yami had the princess by the wrist, explaining the whole situation to the Prime Minister, the princess, and Master Oodin. A comlink on his waist beeped and crackled loudly. "Yami, Yami!" a male's voice cried out. "We're taking hits by the main entrance! Threat to Treegem!" Yami hurriedly grabbed the comlink. "I've got Treegem. The Jedi are coming!" The comlink then died. Yami looked up. The Jedi were gone, and the Prime Minister was being taken by security. 

He then ran off, as quickly as he could while dragging the Princess. "Slow down! Slow down!" Princess Lesha cried out. "You're hurting me!" Yami did not break his stride while telling her his mind. "We are in extreme danger, ma'am, and you'll be in more pain if we don't get to my speeder in time." Lesha stifled a gasp at her Head Of Security's replies. We must be in such great danger if he talks to me like that, she concluded. 

Finally, much to relief of the two, they reach the speeder bike. Lesha is fascinated with such technology, for she has never seen these things before. "Hop on and hold tight. We're going fast." He handed her a pair of goggles. Annoyed with this, Lesha was about to point out that the Shirian kazaas were the fastest creatures on this earth, with the speed of 80 kilometers an hour. But then, when the engine revved up and they blasted through the air, but pretty close to the ground, she found herself clinging to Yami at an exhilarating speed of over 100 kilometers an hour. "Where are we going!?" she tried to shout over the turbulence, but it was so loud and noisy Yami did not even turn. Lesha clenched to him, terrified, and turned her head. She gasped in surprise at what she saw.

The Jedi cautiously entered the entranceway, using their keen Force senses to detect any movement. "Master..." Malik whispered, so softly, a droid's hearing sensors could not pick up. "No one is here except us. Look, there is no evidence of a battle." He tapped the alabaster stone pillar. There were no bodies, no scorch mark from blasters, or anything. The Jedi froze as metal clanging signaled the coming of droids. "Nice one, Malik." Kaiba sneered. Both Masters glared at their apprentices before a battalion of Battle Droids and Super Battle Droids came crashing through. Lightsabers ignited, and lasers came blasting through. "Jedi! Battle Stance now!" Master Oodin yelled. His long limbs allowed him to flow effortlessly through battle. Malik and Kaiba jumped ahead, slashing and dodging. They became a deadly duo of lightsabers, and any droid unfortunate enough to be close to them were metal scrap. Mace Windu became a whirlwind of light, devastating droids. On and on this went. 

Finally the fight ended. Malik thought mournfully of his food that had been lost in battle. His stomach rumbled loudly. Master Oodin, known for his kindness, handed him a razzaberry muffin that he had saved from the firefight. "Share." Malik looked at him gratefully and split the muffin in two. He handed a piece to Kaiba, who took it without second thoughts. Both of the apprentices wolfed down their pieces at stared sadly at their empty hands. Mace Windu surveyed the broken droids. " These are no ordinary droids." He said, and walked out the hole in the wall. "Look, there are no control ships here, and these battle droids depend on them." Kaiba picked up a piece of metal. "The droids are custom-made. Whoever planned this did it well." An uncomfortable silence followed. "Didn't that security guard seem rather odd?" Malik piped up. Kaiba turned towards him. "what does that have to do with anything?" Mace Windu answered for Malik. "Once again, you need to look at the bigger picture. Think about it...didn't we get a report saying that Yami was going to Courascant with the ambassador?" The other Jedi nodded. "Courascant is very far from Shi." Oodin replied. "And Yami had been gone for at least 2 days, that would've gotten him about halfway there, even with hyperspeed. So unless he managed to get back here in no time at all, then..."

"That was not the real security guard!" The Padawans answered at the same time. Mace Windu allowed one of his rare smiles. "Good. I'm glad your perception has grown, Kaiba." Malik beamed happily at Master Oodin, who nodded. "Then who is responsible, Master?" Another uncomfortable silence followed. Kaiba looked into the sky. "It was a trap. Whoever is responsible for this did not care about us. They wanted the princess. But why? She has little or no political power." The Jedi Masters had already come to the conclusion and let their apprentices figure it out. "Duh." Malik said in contempt. "Didn't you listen to the report? The princess comes from a bloodline of the first people. Even though they have a Parliamentary democracy, she is a very important figure in the people's society. She gets a lot more respect than the Prime Minister, which makes sense why some one would..."

"Kidnap her." Kaiba said sadly. "Yes, which also would mean--"

"Invasion." Oodin finished. Several unfriendly-looking ships dotted the sky. "Quick! We must get to the landing bay and warn the people." Mace Windu urged the other Jedi. The Jedi Team broke off at breakneck speed that no human could ever hope to run. 

"Yami! Where are we going?!" Lesha asked for the thousandth time. Yami refused to answer her until he landed next to an old and battered looking starship. "Hush, milady. I'll tell you when we are safely in hyperspace." Grumpily, Lesha grabbed her skirts and walked up the ramp. "Such an old-looking thing. Are you sure it will run?" Yami snorted in disbelief and followed her. 

"Where do I sit?" she asked, eyeing the rather sparse interior. Yami pulled out a black chair. "Hey! This is made from that one metal here...."

"it is Shirian black crystal. One of the hardest elements in the galaxy. Sorry I couldn't do any better for you..." Yami paused for a second. "Buckle up." He added. There were three soft knocks and three hard knocks on the side of the ship. Lesha gulped as she wondered who that was. This was tense! She thought, watching Yami pull out a blaster. 

"It's OK. It's just the rest of the gang." He said loudly. Lesha breathed a sigh of relief as some tall people dressed in black with a large bag over their shoulders. The ramp closed and suddenly Lesha got that creepy feeling you get when something was not right. Cautiously, she placed her hand on the armrest and observed her environment. She jumped as the ship rattled and shook while taking off. There was no sign of the royal embalm anywhere. A split second later, handcuffs appeared over her small wrists. "What?!" She cried out. A collar chained her to the back of the chair, as well as a belt at the waist. "Yami! What is going on here?!" Yami stepped out of the cockpit area, smiling. 

Lesha gasped as his red and black spiky hair lost its color and turned brown, he started shrinking a little bit, and most of all what shocked her-he became a _girl_. "Hello, princess..." the woman smiled. Lesha shuddered. "Who are you!?" she demanded. "Welcome to my ship, the _Firebird._ I am your host today, Cat. Please enjoy your stay, for you will be here for quite a while." 

The grounds shook, and even the mighty trees quivered. Terrified, much of the population has run into the great forests to seek shelter from the bombings. Trying their best to fight the frightened mob of people, the Jedi managed to get to Shi's one and only landing bay. Much to their dismay, only a tiny Shi transport ship was left, and working. After a quick examination, they concluded that only two could go in such tight quarters. There were many debates as to who should go. Finally, Mace Windu decided that the two Padawans should go and warn the Jedi Council and the Senate. The Masters would stay and defend the terrorized citizens of Shi. 

Reluctantly, Kaiba and Malik left their masters and entered the ship. Taking command immediately, Kaiba went into the small cockpit and fired up the thrusters, and since it was too cramped in the cockpit for a co-pilot, Malik situated himself behind Kaiba. 

The Masters waited until their apprentices left the atmosphere. "May the Force be with you!" Oodin called out. Mace Windu signaled to him and they left. 

Videl stared out of the spaceport dreamily. It was all so beautiful, she thought. The black depths of space filled with millions of stars and planets. A touch on her shoulder jerked her awake. "Hmm...what?" She said quite testily. "Sorry, ambassador, but I'd thought that you'd like to know that we're almost there." Yami said coolly. Videl glanced upward and blushed. "No, I'm sorry, Yami. I guess I'm just tense..."

"And bored beyond all words." He finished. Videl blushed again, cursing her light skin to be so revealing. "Umm...yeah. I guess so." Yami grinned at her. They were the only two on board. He leaned closer to her, and said, "I can change that." Surprised for a moment, Videl stared at him. "Yami!" She protested as he brushed his hands against her face. Her voice was cut off when she felt his arms wrapped around her face. She glanced at him breathlessly, her brown eyes widening. "Videl..." Yami whispered in her ear, as she made no attempt to push him off. "What? Yami, I don't think that it is a good id--" Her protests died on her lips when she felt his touching hers. The two broke off a moment, blushing madly. Videl stared into Yami's eyes. He looked almost apologetic glancing back at her. "Yami," she said softly. "What?" Yami asked eagerly. He got his answer when he felt her kissing him again. 

"Who are you?! And how dare you do this to me!!" Lesha demanded. "I am the princess!! Unhand me now!" Cat rolled her eyes at the princess's pathetic spiel. "Shut up." She ordered with quiet authority. Lesha actually stopped whining for a few minutes, astounded that someone spoke to her this way. Her mouth dropped, forming a little O. "I will answer your questions one at a time." Lesha seemed relieved at that and kept quiet. "One, I am Cat. Two, I did this two you, because I am a bounty hunter, and three, I won't 'unhand you', so you can end you senseless babbling and shut the hell up!" Lesha glared at her enemy in disgust. "I know who you are...Catharine of the Dark Forest." Cat turned around angrily. "Yes, princess. You should know me well by now." Sensing a weak spot, Lesha continued. "So what was it that that threw you out? Let me see...now, did it have to do with breaking one of your ancient laws--" Her voice was cut off as Cat grabbed her by the neck collar. "It is not wise to taunt your captors, foolish princess. It is a great pity that my boss wants you alive...so shut the fuck up and if you ever mention that again, I will forget my orders and kill you!!! Is that clear?" Lesha nodded, too scared to answer and wondered when the silence rule started. She winced as Cat slapped her cruelly in the face before leaving. 


	3. Betrayal

"What do you want?" a voice came through the transmitter. A small hologram of a woman cloaked in darkness appeared. "Nicole! Buddy!" Cat replied cheerfully. "It's nice tae see you again. Howizt back at the Castle?" A single red eye glared at Cat. "I did not come to bandy words with you. Have you completed your jobs?" Undaunted by her boss's frosty nature, Cat continued to answer pleasantly. 'Yes, your royal Darkness, I have Teá and her royal-pain-in-the-ass partner."

Annoyed at this kind of treatment, Lesha looked eagerly around the sparse interior, as if expecting the other victim of Cat's cruel captures to be tied up also. Unsuccessful, she turned her head to listen to the conversation.

"....yeah, she's in carbonite." The hologram figure just stared. 'Well, if ya want tae know, she's alive and well...she can be a nice decoration in your dark palace. You'll love the expression, she's screamin' her head off. It'll be perfect for you, boss lady." Nicole's red eye's expression softened a bit at this news. "Good job, bounty hunter..." she said, her words oily smooth. "I shall give you an extra bonus for this...unexpected opportunity. Come now, I will meet you on Alderaan. A peaceful planet. No one will know about this. How close are you?" Cat groaned. "That's on the other side of the galaxy for me! I'm in one of the outer sectors, near Shi. It's going to take me at least three days, provided I can find some shortcuts. I'll beep you when I'm close." A sly, evil grin appeared on Nicole's face. It has been a pleasure doing business with you, Cat. I look forward to your catch." The hologram disappeared. Cat smiled and stretched her long limbs out. This was going to be a good day. 

A sleek Republican cruiser set itself on a landing bay near the office of Chancellor Palpatine. "Preparing to land!" Yami called out. Videl hurriedly rushed to her seat and tried straightening her slightly messy hair. Looking out the window, she saw a squad of security men coming towards the ship. "Yami, they even have a welcoming party here! They must really want us to join the Republic!" she exclaimed in surprise. Yami nodded his agreement, keeping his eyes glued on the screens. There was a soft bump as he landed, and he opened the ramp. He walked over to Videl to escort her. 

Suddenly, the security guards poured inside. "Freeze!" They yelled. Startled, both the ambassador and the Head of Security for Shi put their hands up into the air. Four grabbed Yami and started dragging him down the ramp. "Yami!" Videl cried out. She tried to get closer to him, but another four barred the way. 

"WAIT!!!" He called out. "What the hell is going on?!" None of the men broke their stride when they answered. "You are under arrest for kidnapping of the princess of Shi. For that, you shall go to prison until they put you on trial." And with that, they dragged him to the holding cells. Videl looked at Yami tearfully, hardly daring to believe that was true. "That's a lie!" She finally blurted out. The Republican guards did not answer, taking her gently down the ramp. "Take me to the Chancellor. Now." Videl said, choking back her tears. Without a word, they started walking her towards his office in grim silence. When they got into a taxi speeder, Videl stared sadly out the window with one of the guards on her right. _Where are you Yami? _She wondered. _Did you really do that? I don't think it's you, but with all these guards around, it's hard to tell. Oh Yami!_

Whether it was by some stroke of miracle or what, Malik wasn't about to argue. Through about two days of desperate tinkering with the controls, Kaiba managed to get them to Courascant in three days, a day and a half shorter than the normal time. Tweaking the engines to maximum power, the Jedi apprentices got to the city-planet on full throttle. Malik froze as a strange feeling crept over him. 

"You feel it too?" Kaiba asked. Malik nodded. "Fear...there is an abundance of fear...right over...there!" On the screen, Kaiba pointed at a tall building. "Ah, where Chancellor Palpatine is. I wonder why?" Without waiting for a response, he made a sudden vertical drop about a hundred kilometers after entering the atmosphere. The cool, green lights on the sensors turned to at bloody red. Sirens started beeping. "Dammit!" Malik called out over the noise. "What the hell went wrong back there?" Showing no sign of impatience or fear, Kaiba slowly began working on the console, using the Force to guide him. "Well..." he yelled over the clamor, "Things just can't get any--" He was interrupted as the toxic smell of smoke came drifting through. Coughing and sputtering, Malik sought to control his emotions and find that damn fire extinguisher in the midst of smoke, fire, and chaos. *Cough* *Cough* "Kaiba, if we don't land soon, we're dead!" *Cough* *Cough* Malik shouted. He jumped as the yellow flames started licking his tunic. 

Ignoring the scene behind him, Kaiba closed his eyes and let go of the controls. Malik stared at him in amazement and wondered if the smoke went to his brain. Keeping his thoughts concentrated, Kaiba used his will and power to guide the ship. Down, down it went. Dropping about twenty or so kilometers every moment. In his mind's eye, Kaiba saw the city around him. Mentally thinking about where to land, he carefully guided it to his destination. Malik winced as there was a sharp grinding sound, letting both passengers know they landed on something solid. After the ship came to a screeching halt, both apprentices let out a sigh of relief. But not for long. The flames had grown bigger, feeding on fuel and God knows what else. It was only a matter of time before the ship would blow. 

With the smoke twice as thick as before, it was impossible to see. Using the Force, Malik somehow found the wall and cut it with his green lightsaber. The hot metal hissed and cracked as an even more concentrated energy source was used upon it. "C'mon Kaiba! I found a way out of here!" he yelled. He jumped out of the hole and greedily breathed in the fresh, polluted air. "All right! We made it!" He cheered. Then he looked around. Kaiba was not with him. Malik stared in horror as the flames grew bigger and bigger. "Hold on Kaiba! I'll save you!" Malik yelled again before charging in.

Kaiba sat in his pilot seat, delirious. Saving the ship had taken a tremendous toll on him. He barely registered Malik's shouting. Too weak to even unbuckle himself, he just lay there and wondered if this was the end. He coughed as smoke irritated his eyes and throat. Tired, he started closing his eyes. So tired...just one more long sleep... Much to his surprise, he saw Mokuba leaning over him. Becoming even more intoxicated by the fumes he kept on seeing his younger brother as a result. "Mokuba..." he croaked. "just leave me...save yourself..." with that, he passed out. 

Suddenly, the sensors started wailing. Cat jumped up to survey her sensor problem. Her face hardened as discovered its source. "Dammit!" she yelled. Lesha jumped as her loud voice cut through the silence. Almost instantly, the room became a military campground as Cat started shouting out orders. "OK, I need two of you to the starboard gunners, and two of you for the other side. C'mon, keep moving, keep moving! You there!" Cat shouted at a cyborg behind Lesha. "Come with me. I need a co-pilot. Everyone get ready!" Lesha was startled as there was no other noise from shuffling feet aside from shouting. What kind of creatures were they? Lesha had no experience with any sort of this kind of machinery whatsoever. Cat scrambled over to the cockpit, just in time to receive an unexpected message from an unwanted someone on her screen. 

"Well, well, well. If it ain't my favirit buddy! Nice tae mecha again, kitty-cat!" Cat groaned in response. "What the hell do ya want, Wheeler?!" The man's face on the screen frowned for a moment. "Ah, whatsa matter? Cat got your tongue?" he asked, making Cat fume even more. "Dammit, Joey! What the fuck do ya want?! I've got a busy schedule here, ya know!" Joey grinned at her reaction, his brown eyes twinkling. "I know what you got." He whispered. Caught off guard, Cat leaned closer to the screen. Not that Joey minded that much. He had a perfect view of her...and everything else. Annoyed at his staring, Cat bent back. "What Joey?! Stop staring--you're such a perv!" Taken aback, he glared at her. "You have something I want, and I want it now! So hand it over, Cat, afore anything else happens." Another voice abruptly popped out from the background. "Who is that, Cat?! Is it my rescuer?" Joey grinned. "You, betcha, honey! I'm comin' tae rescue ya from this bad lady!" Cat covered her head with her hands. "Heh, heh. Just give me the princess, darlin' and nothing will happen." 

Cat stopped for a second, as if pondering what to do. "Make me!" With amazing quickness, she turned off the screen and pushed her engines to full throttle. "Nah-ah!" A voice called out on the speakers. Nobody gets away from me that easily!" Totally ignoring the damn fool, she dodged incoming lasers with a nice corkscrew drive. Sensors beeped wildly, warning her of ion missiles coming her way. She smiled as she heard cursing when they completely missed her ship. The _Firebird_ was no ordinary ship. Custom-made from various ships, it was crammed with all sorts of illegal weaponry and cloaking devices. Built for speed as well as power, it was roughly three sizes bigger than a Jedi starship, for its structure resembled the Jedi starship greatly, even with a worn Republic symbol on it, as well as a phoenix engraved next to it. Dodging blasts with ease, Cat started making her coordinates for hyperspace. A thud from above surprised her. "What the hell was that?!" she yelled, but seeing no damage done, she swerved to the left. Unexpectedly, the speakers turned on. "Kitty-cat, is that all you can do? I expected more out of you! So long, sucker!" Ignoring his boasts, Cat tried a double roll to escape another array of laser blasts. Then, without warning, a hand clamped down on hers. "What the--?" she started to say, but another hand covered her mouth. Astonished, she suddenly flipped backward from her pilot's seat, her feet colliding with her enemy's face. The force from the impact sent her landing on her opponent. Bewildered at the fact that someone managed to get this close to her without her knowledge, she snuck a look at her fallen adversary. Cat gasped as she saw her cyborg underneath her, circuits shorting out, and fluids oozing from the skin. Unsure if it was hers or the cyborg's she grabbed the hilt of her sword-whip. 

Walking cautiously in the small corridor, Cat silently made her way to where the princess was kept. If her cyborgs were going to rebel, she might as keep her prize and herself alive. Seeing that Lesha was not hurt, Cat crept closer, keeping a weather eye out for enemies. Lesha looked sadly down the corridor. Her eyes widened as she saw the bounty hunter creeping over towards her. "What is going on?!" she demanded. 

Losing her element of surprise, Cat leapt out of the shadows. Two dark forms grabbed her by the arms in mid-air. "Let go of me!" she protested. "No...we don't." a male voice answered. 

"Dammit, Joey! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Cat yelled. One of the cyborgs twisted and wrenched her arm with inhuman strength, causing her to kneel to the ground in pain. "What do ya think I'm doin'? Rescuin' the princess o'course!"

"You're violating the Creed, Joey."

"What Creed, you bitch?!"

"The Bounty Hunters' Creed, you dumbass! No bounty hunter shall interfere with another's hunt!" Joey laughed. "I'm huntin' for the princess, bitch! The Jedi hired me! So she is mine! As for you, I think I have an idea for the likes o'you!" He sent out two men behind him to start removing the chair. Joey walked over and brushed his forefinger against the side of Cat's face. "So, soft..." Wearied of his tactics, Cat jerked her head to the side and bit his finger. There was a loud crunch. 

The expression on Joey's face was priceless. His face turned red and his eyes welled up in tears. "OWOWOWOWOW! Dammit! That hurt!" Doing a little dance of pain around the cabin, Joey glared at her. "K-kill her!" He said between clenched teeth. At once, the cyborgs went for her throat. Ducking, Cat managed to tear herself loose, only to collide with another pair. "All right, ya bunch of circuits! You may fight like me, butcha still lack one thing!" she shouted. Oblivious to the conversation, two cyborgs charged at her, only to become a smoldering heap on the floor. The others stared at her in amazement. 'I'm just no bounty hunter, fools!" Another cyborg tried to take her out with a custom-made blaster pistol. 

Evading the blasts, Cat drew out her sword. "Foolish human! No sword can block my blows!" One of the cyborgs scorned. "Wanna bet?!" More green shots spewed out of the pistol. Taking a stance, Cat twirled her sword in a clockwise motion. Much to her opponents' surprise, the sword grew longer, taking on a more whip-like shape. Still taking more potshots at Cat, the cyborg fired away. Faster and faster Cat's sword-whip swung, and the laser blasts fell against the whip like water upon stone, causing the blasts to bounce off her, literally. Suddenly, a small squeak of boots sounded behind Cat. She turned around and faced another cyborg. Astonished, she tried to faze her opponent with one of her punches. But as fast as she was, her enemy was faster, giving her a hard roundhouse punch straight in the face, knocking Cat to the floor. 

Slowly, Kaiba opened his eyes. He blinked in surprise as a bright light filtered through. "Where am I?" he asked, his voice cracking. "In the medical bay, and it is noon, if you'd like to know." A voice replied. Kaiba straightened up immediately. "Malik?" Malik stood in front of him, grinning. "You should've left me there to die." Kaiba sullenly answered. Malik's eyes widened in shock. "I couldn't have done that! We were partnered up together, and I didn't want to lose you. Besides, how could I tell Mokuba?" Kaiba didn't answer. 

"Correct young Malik is. Well he did in his rescue. Risked his life for you, he did. Be grateful, you should." The sound of a very familiar person made both the Padawans turn around. "Master Yoda!" they exclaimed in astonishment. The old, small green master had settled himself in a hoverchair specially designed for him. He clanked his stick against the metal. "Time for arguing is later. Find the princess now. There is a problem at the Galactic Senate. Go there you shall. Discover the problem, solve it, then find the princess. Kaiba is healed, go now, before more problems awake." Hardly daring to object to the old Master's order, Malik hurriedly grabs Kaiba by the arm and drags him out of bed. Both young men scurried out of the medical bay as if they had battle nek dogs on their heels. Alone in the room, Yoda chuckled to himself. "Too hasty they are." 

"C'mon Kaiba, hurry up!" Malik shouted behind him. Kaiba lagged behind. "Wait up! Dammit! I just got out of the medical bay, okay?!" He yelled back. Malik stopped and actually waited for him. "If you slow down anymore, I'll carry you there. Got it?" That did it. Thoroughly aggravated at this, Kaiba began running ahead. "C'mon!" he called out. "You're going to make us late!" With that, he sprinted down the corridor. 

Thank you for the reviews...this is my first time being (really) serious about stories...any advice is welcome. 

*note: sorry if malik sounds like a geek...i tried to portray him as Namu, he's so cute and innocent that way. 


	4. Unexpected Allies

Once again...i do not claim anything except what i started earlier....  
  
Unexpected Allies  
  
"Who would've guessed that this place was so damn far..." Malik huffed as he sprinted behind Kaiba. Taking a brief break while waiting in an elevator, the two contemplated their next move. "OK, we're heading towards the Chancellor's office. I take it there are some aggressive negotiations going on. There are no guards anywhere. I'll go in first, and you'll back me up. There seems to be a lot of tension there." "Kaiba, but--" Malik started to protest, but was cut off as the elevator hissed to a stop. Kaiba hurried ahead, eager to end this problem and search for the princess. Malik sighed and followed.  
Walking silently, Kaiba crept up towards the door. Putting his hand on the hilt of the lightsaber, he listened to the conversation taking place. Female and male voices echoed through the corridor. "Let go of me! I demand to be set free!" "I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait." "What kind of government is this?! I am an ambassador, not some rogue Jedi!" At that, Kaiba leapt inside the room, lightsaber ablaze. Malik trudged behind him slowly. Kaiba looked around in surprise at the astonished occupants. A female ambassador in a lovely blue dress sat across from Chancellor Palpatine, obviously discussing something. The ambassador eyed Kaiba warily. "Ahem." Malik said grumpily. Kaiba turned around, and saw his unhappy companion with a 'I-told-you-so' look plastered on his face. Embarrassed, he blushed at his rash actions.  
Ignoring him, Malik continued. "Chancellor Palpatine, we apologize greatly for this intrusion, but it is necessary." He paused and took a deep breath. The old man's eyes twinkled. "Do please go on. I want to know why some Jedi apprentices are threatening me and my company with their lightsaber." Thoroughly miserable, Kaiba kept his head down. Taken aback by such a statement, and aware that their reputation was at stake, Malik hastily started explaining. "Well, umm, Chancellor, I, er I mean we, would like to apologize for this interference. We came here on behalf of Yami, the Shian head of Security, who has been mistakenly put into one of your holding cells." The Chancellor eyed the two Padawans suspiciously. "Do you have proof?" He asked. Malik paused for a moment, racking his brain. "Consistency." Kaiba piped up. "When the princess was kidnapped, Yami was already on his way to Courascant. He was accompanying the ambassador, not with the princess. It was a bounty hunter, a shapeshifter that took her, not Yami." Chancellor Palpatine glanced over to Videl. "Is this true, my dear?" Videl nodded sadly. "Yes."  
Suddenly, the doors hissed open, and Yami strode in. "Yami!" She exclaimed, rushed towards his side and hugged him. Blushing at such an open response, the two parted. "What do you know of this bounty hunter?" Yami asked. Always the professional and businessman, he was. Malik hung his head, ashamed. "Nothing. And now all of Shi is under invasion!" Videl gasped in shock. 'I must return to my people!" She tried to gather her skirts and leave, but the male company refused to allow her to do so. "Let her go, you shall!" Another voice intervened. The two Jedi froze as once again they heard their master's call. "Master Yoda!" they exclaimed. The small, green Jedi Master glared at Kaiba. "Violence I did not ask for, young Padawan." Feeling abashed, Kaiba hung his head. Turning his attention to far more important matters, Master Yoda smiled at Videl. "She is right, but alone you shall not go." Relieved, Videl sat back down. "And I will go with her!" Yami replied. The old master shook his head. "No, your duty is with the princess. Malik will go instead." Disappointed, but cheerful at being free, Videl ran to the old Jedi master and shook his hand. "Thank you so much, Master Jedi! I will go at once and help my planet!" Grabbing an utterly stunned Malik by the wrist, she bolted out the door. There was a crash as Malik tripped over the over the carpet and collided into the wall. Loud curses followed.  
Loud blasts sounded overhead as the two Jedi Knights ran to Shi's aid. Many people had already fled into the forests and mountains for protection while those who couldn't, hid in cellars and other such places. Many armies of droids had already landed, and started rounding up the unfortunate people who could not find shelter in time. Already trying to avoid capture themselves, the Jedi followed the frightened people into the forests. They soon discovered that this was not a good way to go.  
A tree stood in the middle of a beaten path, its gnarled woody tentacles writhing in the air in search of enemies. As the Jedi sprinted past it, they were suddenly lifted off the ground. Mace Windu struggled to be free. The whip-like branches squeezed tighter and tighter around them, cutting of their circulation. Trying to get loose, he tried to grab his lightsaber, but was out of luck. Perspiration trickled down his face and neck, and soon the simple task of breathing became a challenge. Oodin had other ideas. Forgetting his lightsaber, he called upon the Force to help him. Calming his thoughts down, he sent little thoughts towards the tree. He was surprised at how much intelligence the tree had. He felt its confusion, and fears at seeing strangers from the outside in its territory. Oodin rubbed his bony hands around the thick branches, attempting to soothe it. It's OK, everything will be all right. We have come to help you. do not fear us. A few moments later, the tree let its prisoners go. The Jedi landed with a hard bump on the ground. Mace stood gratefully in the sunlight, breathing in deeply. However, Oodin faced the tree, giving it a bow of thanks. "Thank you so much. We owe you our lives. May the leaves stay ever green and never fall off!" (a very nice compliment, by the way) In response, the tree shook its leaves and branches in acknowledgment. Walking much more cautiously into the forest, the Jedi see nothing but trees. "Where are all the people?" Oodin wondered. "I sense a great many people here, but I see nothing." Mace nodded in agreement. Without warning, two sharp javelins come shooting through the foliage and land right before the Jedi's feet. Looking up, the pair tried to find their oppressors, but was unsuccessful. Someone shouted in the forest in another language, but when there was no response, it quickly turned to Basic. "Who are you, leras? Why do you come to our forest? Why do you trespass? The üruki surround us and destroy the trees. Who are you?" Taken off guard for a moment, Mace replied. "Show yourselves, we mean no harm, for your guardian at the gate did not kill us." There was no response. "We held up our side of the bargain, now tell us who you are, human!" The two Jedi whirled around in amazement. They did not even hear footsteps nor sense any kind of movement. They stared in surprise at the two tall figures that faced them. They resembled humans in every sort of way, but there was something inhuman about them. Oodin noted that they were at least a foot taller than Mace, one of the tallest human Jedi Masters and their skin and hair was fair and had no blemishes. Their blue eyes were full of wisdom, and their ears, pointed. The two had an air around them that seemed old, but they looked barely twenty in standard years. Pretending that the beautiful creatures did not catch him off guard, Oodin hurriedly introduced himself and Mace. "We are the Jedi, Keepers of Peace. We wish you no harm, but to help you." The other two eyed each other, then laughed. "We don't need any human help, or a strangers. But you are in our realm, and have intruded on our rules. We will take you to our king, and maybe he will sort your gibberish. Come now." Quite abruptly the figure broke off and bound the Jedi's hands and covered their eyes with a strip of cloth. "Do not worry, we will not let you stumble and make you fall, for the roads are smooth. Don't take off the bindings, lest it be your own doom." With that, the creatures took the Jedi and went deeper into the forest.  
Cat lay still on the floor, her head spinning. Warm blood trickled down her face. The cyborg stood before her triumphantly. She groaned as she tried to get up, her whole body aching. A cyborg brought her force pike down on Cat. Pain sent her crashing down to her knees. The last thing she remembered was seeing Lesha confronting Joey.  
Lesha jumped up happily, as she was relieved to be out of the chair. Surveying her surroundings, she was horrified at the cruel treatment of her former captor. Joey walked up to her, smiling. "I am here at your service, your Highness." Looking over towards Cat, she complained, "Let her go. She didn't hurt me that much....for a bounty hunter." Two men appeared behind her and grabbed her by the arm. "Let go of me!" She protested. To everyone's surprise, she managed to push off the guards. Feeling confident, she yelled, "I'm not getting here without a fight!", her fists up and ready for battle. Joey reached into his holster and put a blaster to her forehead. That confidence feeling soon washed away. "I surrender!" she put up her hands in defeat. Laughing, Joey grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her out into the walkway. "Ta-ta, kitty-cat! Now I get the princess and your ship. Too bad you won't be alive to appreciate it!" With that, he snatched Lesha and wrapped her in his arms, but not before a grimace of pain appeared on his face. Cat's stubbornness had done that much damage. The doors hissed shut as a temporary elevator tube connected his ship to hers sent the two into his ship.  
The cyborg grabbed the unconscious Cat by her hair and hauled her to a table. "Can't wait to see this one go!" she said to her companion. Slowly, but painfully Cat started regaining her consciousness. Her head spinning, her eyelids flicked open for a moment. Neither of the cyborgs noticed. The pounding in her temples grew louder, until she couldn't stand it any more. It took all of her strength and training to not cry out in pain. When she raised her head cautiously, a sharp pain in her made her release her breath in a hiss. The cyborgs looked down at her in surprise. "What th--?" one them never got to finish her statement as a Cat rammed a small dagger in her face. The body and bloody face fell to the ground, twisting and turning in the most grotesque way as life seeped out from her. "That is for me!" Without pausing, she punched the other one in the face with renewed fury. The cyborg fell to the floor and rubbed her face, glaring at Cat. "Your death is at hand, human!" She yelled, charging at Cat. "Not mine, but yours." She replied calmly, her hands glowing, as if on fire. The other faced her, smiling grimly. "Your little magic tricks won't work on me, elf." "Damn", thought Cat. "She knows of my past.' Time to put an end to this. "You know too much, cyborg, too much. I want you to know the meaning of silent as the grave." With that, she unleashed her lethal blasts, obliterating the cyborg. Only a few carbon ashes remained of the cyborg. Astonished, the other cyborg tried to run away, tripping over the body of her dead companion. Without warning, Cat released a barrage of fireballs at her. She had no chance. Her body fell smoking and shuddering, with circuits on the fritz. Cat leaned heavily on the table after she finished her ordeal. Sirens started shrieking, hurting her ears. "Dammit.." she said under her breath, but a good bounty hunter never hesitates. Knowing that if Joey discovered her alive, piloting her ship, he would most definitely blow up both her and the ship. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he had already used and ion cannon on her, freezing the ship's systems. Time for a much more desperate plan. She cautiously, but hurriedly, opened the trap door under the table where she smuggled her stuff. Teá's screaming face looked up at her. 'Glad to see you're still around.' Cat replied, and shoved the carbonite tray over to squeeze though. She closed the door and was immediately enveloped in an eerie darkness. That didn't bother Cat, she always liked the dark. Her pupils dilated to allow her to see. Using her heightened senses of touch, smell, hearing, and sight, she climbed through the honeycomb of vaults and cubicles to where she kept the most secret of stuff. Even if Joey came down here himself with all his fancy electronics, he couldn't find his way through, or any of her loot. Creeping down through the tunnels, after replacing a false bottom to the hideout she made, and half -dragging the carbonized Teá. She thanked the stars that she had added cushioning to muffle the noises. Finally, the dark tunnel came to a dead end. A hatch lay just before her. "Yes!" she whispered gleefully. "I did it, I actually did it!" twisting and turning, air hissed as the pressure was relieved. "I'll come back for you later." She told the frozen Teá. Before slipping through, she ran her super-sensitive fingers across the durasteel wall. She found a hairline crack and dug her nails into it. A drawer slid out, smooth as oil, holding a bag full of something. Anxiously, she opened it. There were hundreds of precious and semi-precious gems as well as very rare bits and pieces of metal along with enough credits to get her stuff. Only a couple of meters above her, footsteps thundered loudly, trying to make sense of all this mess. "Time to go!" Cat slid down the hatch and into a pilot's seat. "All systems are on-line! R-4, close the hatch please!" A red astromech droid beeped in reply, sealing the hatch. The tiny ship broke loose and floated down into space. "Set coordinates for Courascant." She called out. R-4 answered in a series of beeps and whistles, assuring her that they were leaving in a couple of moments. Cat grinned. By the time they realized she was gone, she would've already been halfway across the galaxy by now. The hyperdrive powered up, humming loudly. "Here we goooo!" she yelled as the Jedi starfighter launched itself into hyperspace.  
  
Kaiba stared at Master Yoda in amazement. "I will go and find the princess, Master, and stop this madness." He said finally. "And I will go too!" Yami added. Hiding a look of disgust and feelings of shame about working with a security guard, he nodded in agreement. "I have some contacts here in Courascant in the lower levels. There's bound to be someone that knows about bounty hunters. And I know just the man. C'mon, Kaiba! I'll show you!" Walking briskly out the door, both young men start on their search. Yami led Kaiba to a small, air taxi, and piloted it himself. Grabbing a mysterious-looking box, he handed it to Kaiba. "Here, put these on. It won't do you any good down here to look like a Jedi. No one will talk to you." Kaiba nodded his thanks and opened the box. Inside, a thick poncho made from some sort of animal hide, a black eye patch, and some strange bracelets. "What the hell is this?!" Yami smiled. "You are going to be one of the tree-handlers that also works for security on Shi. I hope you don't mind, cause that's all I have. Now, sit tight!" Nervously, Kaiba held onto the sides of the air taxi. (similar to the one Anakin and Obi-Wan had) It turned out to be a good idea, because just then, Yami did a plummeting drop about hundred kilometers, down to the lower levels. A bump and a screech of metal later, they finally stopped. "Kaiba, you can let go now." Yami said gently. Kaiba blinked a few times and took several deep breaths before he realized how hard he was holding on to the taxi and that he was holding his breath. "You OK?" Regaining his standing, he replied to Yami's question, "I am fine", in that deadpan manner of his and scrambled out of the taxi with what dignity he had left. "Welcome to the Black Hole, a place packed with information sucked from the outside world. Also a restaurant and bar. Watch your step. These people are not to be taken lightly." Yami said with authority. Kaiba glared at him. "I am a Jedi, I know exactly how to work with these kinds of people. You don't have to tell me anything." Yami sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "OK, but do me one last favor." "What?" "Shut up!" And with that, Yami went into the Black Hole. Kaiba hurried after him.  
  
"How many items of clothing do you posses?" Malik asked Videl, wide- eyed. Piles and piles of garments littered the room. "We are going to war, not to some social dinner. Don't you have any...fighting clothes?" Videl glared at the irritating Jedi apprentice. "Maybe we'll sell them and build an army." She replied coldly. "Why didn't you ask the Senate for permission with the use of the Clone Army?" Malik asked, hoping to change the subject. Videl folded some more clothes before answering. "It takes too long for them to agree on anything. Besides, we're not part of the Republic, and everybody's afraid that we're going to join the Separatists instead. So we're not going to get any help; it's a miracle that we even got Jedi help." "I guess the politics were more complicated than I expected." Malik sighed and grabbed a bag stuffed with who knows what. "Of course. Why else do you think most Senators and ambassadors and other such people get so grouchy all the time?" She grinned and snatched another bag off the bed. Malik wondered if she was flirting with him. "Uhh...what ship are we taking anyway?" Videl's eyes sparkled as she told him. "The Moonshine Express!" she exclaimed dreamily. She looked over towards Malik and his stunned silence. "Wh-what did you say?" "The Moonshine Express. Why do you look like you've seen a ghost spyder?" All the blood vanished from his face. "Why the hell are you taking a luxury cruise ship when we are going to war?" he finally asked when he managed to find his voice. "Well, silly, we had to get to Shi somehow. Look, I have no idea what's buggin' you, but one of my friends, an expert pilot, has volunteered to take us to the planet at one of the stops. Don't worry. I've got everything under control. Sheesh, I thought Jedi were more idealistic than this. I didn't see you offer any ideas. C'mon, you're going to make us late." Videl hurried out the doorway. Malik rolled his eyes. Figures that he'd be put with such a girl. Yells of hurry up convinced him that now was not the time to tarry. To be continued...... Thanks for any reviews...advice is always welcome... 


End file.
